The Eagles of Carthage suffered a shock 2-1 defeat by Namibia in their opening Group E match before being held to a draw by Mali, making their chances of reaching the round of 16 more difficult.

They will face South Africa, who is facing Namibia later today, in the last group stage match on Wednesday.

“The match was very intensive, and we were very involved in all aspects of the game. We were looking for the victory but were unlucky not to get it after playing well for most parts of the game,” Kadri was quoted as saying by CAF’s official website.

“The two teams were equal and the last 10 minutes were very difficult. We were not looking for a draw, we tried getting the win, but it unfortunately did not happen,” he added.

Tunisia, who won the continental title in 2004, are third in Group E behind leaders Mali and second-placed Namibia.

The team will be in a must-win situation when they face South Africa, according to Kadri.

However, the Mali game was very important ahead of the Bafana Bafana test, he added.

“What we have seen today is that we gave a good offensive game. They were very physical, and our players got some knocks but that did not stop us, and we continued working hard,” the coach said.

“Getting a point against Mali is very important and such a tough match is good for us ahead of the final group match,” he concluded.

Check the AFCON matches and standings

Check the AFCON stats

(For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)